Clan Baird
A Lowland family whose chief line held Auchmedden in Aberdeenshire until 1755. The clan has no recognised chief, and is armigerous.
History
The Bairds are a Lowland family, and the clan society itself describes Baird as a Lowland clan or family. The name is usually explained as coming from the Gaelic bard, a poet or minstrel. Of the Baird births and baptisms recorded between 1538 and 1700, most fall in a band running across Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Stirlingshire, Midlothian and West Lothian.
Tradition places the family's rise in the reign of William the Lion, who ruled from 1165 to 1214. In the story, a wild boar attacked the king while he was out hunting, and a man named Baird killed it. The king is said to have rewarded him with land, a coat of arms and the motto Dominus fecit. The boar does appear on the arms, but the tale is a tradition, not a documented event.
The branch that matters most to the clan is that of Auchmedden, on the Aberdeenshire coast near Pennan. Andrew Baird bought the estate from the Earl of Buchan in 1539, and his descendants kept it for more than two hundred years. Local tradition ties it to a saying of Thomas the Rhymer, that eagles would nest in the crags for as long as a Baird lived at Auchmedden. William Baird sold the estate to the Earl of Aberdeen in 1755, ending the family's hold on it.
Other branches were made baronets. The Bairds of Saughtonhall, near Edinburgh, were created baronets in 1695, and the Bairds of Urie in 1897. Newbyth in East Lothian also had a Baird baronetcy. These are family honours, not chiefships.
No chief has been recognised for a very long time. According to the clan society, anyone seeking the chiefship must show direct descent from Sir James Baird of Auchmedden, who registered the family's arms in 1672, and must satisfy the Lord Lyon on that point. A petition was under review when its sole petitioner, Sir James Baird, 11th Baronet of Saughtonhall, died on 18 February 2024. His son is expected to take it up again. We cannot say how it will end.
Meanwhile, the Lord Lyon commissioned a Commander of the Clan in 2019 for five years, and the same person was later reappointed for a second term. The clan society also says that Baird has no septs or dependent families, so it is best treated as a single surname with variant spellings.
Clan Baird tartans
Names and reference numbers follow the Scottish Register of Tartans. Mills sell most setts in modern, ancient and weathered colourways. The pattern is the same; only the shades change.
BairdClan tartan · Register ref. 169The Register says this sett is first recorded in Johnston's work of 1906. Early samples show the triple stripes in red, though today they are usually woven in purple. The Register gives no date for the version it lists.
Baird (Modern)Hunting tartan · Register ref. 168Dated 1880 in the Register, with the same early record of 1906 and the same note that the stripes were once red and are now purple. The Register adds that historically this is simply 'Baird', but the clan's own website calls it Baird Hunting.
Baird DressDress tartan · Register ref. 170Registered as a dress variation of the standard Baird sett, dated 2002. The Register says it is not known whether it began as a dance tartan, but it now seems to be accepted as a true dress version.
Get the kilt
When you order a kilt, ask for the tartan by its full name — for example “Baird” — and say which colourway you want. “Modern” is dark and strong, “ancient” is lighter, “weathered” is muted. The sett is the same in each.
We are choosing retailers we trust and will list them here soon.
Wear the colours
Our own Baird range is on its way: the name, the tartan and the motto on a heavyweight tee, a hoodie and a mug. About the shop.
Lands and seats
- Auchmedden. The Aberdeenshire estate near Pennan held by the chief line of the family until William Baird sold it in 1755.
Surnames
The clan name and its spellings
- Baird
- Baard
- Bard
- Barde
- Beard
- Bayard
- Biaird
- MacBard
- Mackabard
“Associated” means the name appears in published sept lists for this clan. It does not prove descent, and many names are linked to more than one clan. Where your family lived is often the better clue.
Questions people ask
What is the Baird tartan?
The Scottish Register of Tartans lists Baird (ref. 169), Baird (Modern) (ref. 168) and Baird Dress (ref. 170). All are blue, black and green, with purple or red accents. The Register notes the triple stripes were once red and are now usually woven in purple.
What is the Baird clan motto?
The motto is Dominus fecit, Latin for 'the Lord made'. The war cry is 'Baird to the vanguard!'.
Does Clan Baird have a chief?
No. The clan has no chief recognised by the Lord Lyon, and is armigerous. A petition for the chiefship was in progress when Sir James Baird, 11th Baronet of Saughtonhall, died in February 2024.
Where does Clan Baird come from?
The Bairds are a Lowland family, with early records across Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and the Lothians. The chief line held Auchmedden in Aberdeenshire from 1539 to 1755.
Sources
- Baird tartan (ref. 169) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Baird (Modern) tartan (ref. 168) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Baird Dress tartan (ref. 170) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Clan Baird Facts — Clan Baird
- Clan Leadership — Clan Baird
- Auchmedden — Clan Baird
- The Present State of Clan Baird — Baird Heritage, via Electric Scotland
- Clan: Baird — Electric Scotland
Clan histories are contested and sources disagree. If you can correct something here with a source, write to hello@tartanflag.com. Last updated 1 October 2026.